General Manager

About ASEI
ASEI is a social enterprise organisation dedicated to increasing capacity for innovation in Africa through youth and community STEM projects. ASEI runs and implements three innovative projects across education, water and renewable energy industries as described below:

1. STEM in Schools
This project involves working with secondary schools to adopt to a new pedagogical approach to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education in Uganda. The project engages students in project-based learning in STEM subjects helping them cultivate skills such as collaboration, problem solving, critical thinking, and prototyping which are key employable skills. By leveraging beneficial partnerships with schools, ASEI is working to sustainably expand the reach and impact of this project.

2. The Water Project (Aqualama by ASEI)
This project is dedicated to improving access to safe and affordable drinking water in Uganda through sustainable point of use solar powered UV-C water disinfection systems. With 40% of the population (19 million people) facing water insecurity, this initiative targets school communities to reduce waterborne diseases, enhance child health and education outcomes of children. By using a market-based approach, ASEI is working to deploy these systems sustainably and at scale in schools and local communities within the Rwenzori region.

3. Insulated Solar Electric Cookers (ISECs)
The Insulated Solar Electric Cooker (ISEC) is a sustainable clean cooking solution designed to provide affordable and energy-efficient cooking for off-grid and energy-insecure communities. Powered through solar, the ISECs designed and assembled by ASEI utilize a heavily insulated cooking chamber to minimize energy loss, allowing cooking of food while reducing electricity costs and reliance on traditional fuels like firewood. By leveraging blended finance instruments and market-based mechanisms such as carbon credits and green payments, ASEI would like to promote local assembly and distribution of solar cookers to support the transition to e-cooking in Uganda starting with the Rwenzori region.

Key Job Responsibilities
Implementing strategies to achieve business goals and objectives.
Develop and implement strategic plans to achieve business goals and objectives, aligning with the company’s vision and mission.
Collaborate with senior leadership to identify business priorities and translate them into actionable strategies.
Conduct market research and data analysis to inform decision-making and optimize business performance.
Monitor progress against strategic objectives, adjusting as necessary to ensure targets are met.
Foster cross-functional collaboration to ensure seamless execution of business initiatives.
Maintaining healthy relations with all relevant stakeholders critical to business success.
Effectively conveying management decisions and policies to operations-specific teams, connecting these decisions to team activities, and helping in the implementation process.

2. Overseeing daily operations
Ensure that business decisions and operations comply with specific laws and regulations.
Monitor employees and daily operations to meet the strategic goals set for ASEI.
Use productivity tracking software and performance analysis tools to ensure that all employees carry out their tasks effectively.
Implement operational policies and monthly financial budgets
Review financial statements, cash flow statements and balance sheets to get an overview of the ASEI’s total profit, expenses, pending amounts and liabilities.
Document and evaluate different work schedules and adjust them to the requirements of the organization and its employees
Ensure set deadlines are met by specifying the days and times for employees to complete their tasks to ensure employee efficiency, legal compliance and consistency within the ASEI.

3. Boosting management effectiveness
Recruiting, orienting, training, counselling, coaching and disciplining managers.
Communicating values, strategies and objectives by assigning accountability details to each employee.
Boost the organisation’s efficiency through regular planning, monitoring and appraising of job results.
Share positive feedback, appreciation and respect to create a healthy work environment and improve productivity.
Ensure a better work–life balance that influences positive mental health of the workforce.

4. Directing sales and marketing
Develop marketing strategies to meet ASEI’s sales targets.
Supervise the sales activities of ASEI’s internal programs and products
Train sales staff and ensure that the managers can also fulfil the organizations’ marketing goals.

5. Fundraising and grant management
Researching and identifying relevant foundations, corporations, government agencies, and other grant-making organizations that align with ASEI’s mission and program areas.
Crafting compelling grant proposals that clearly articulate the need for funding, project goals, implementation strategies, budget details, and evaluation methods.
Cultivating relationships with potential donors through networking, site visits, and regular communication to build trust and understanding.
Submitting grant proposals according to deadlines and guidelines, managing the application process, and tracking the status of submissions.
Adhering to donor reporting requirements, including financial reports, narrative updates, and performance indicators, to maintain accountability.
Closely monitoring project expenditures against the approved budget to ensure funds are used efficiently.
Evaluating the impact of funded projects, collecting data to demonstrate results, and preparing comprehensive reports to donors.

Behavioral and Technical Skills
Proven success in a managerial role.
Strong decision-making ability.
Excellent communication, collaboration, and delegation skills.
Proven ability to develop and achieve financial plans.
Ability to motivate and lead employees and hold them accountable.
Strong working knowledge of operational procedures.

Education and qualifications
Bachelor’s degree (or equivalent) in business management or a related field.
Experience in conducting performance evaluations.
Working knowledge of human-resources processes.

Why work with us? What to expect at ASEI!
ASEI is on an exciting upward trajectory, and we believe our growth is a great indicator of how much work is needed in the sector.
Our relationship with our network of partners means that we can both focus on broader sector trends and on the programs that help us feel grounded in the cause
We pride ourselves on maintaining a supportive and collaborative environment that allows for strategic input, requests, and growth opportunities to come from all staff at all levels of management
We, as an organization, value excellence, but not at the cost of practicality. Expect management and processes that prioritize making your working life easier rather than sticking to a strict procedure.

Other information
The role is based in our current network district in Fort Portal, Uganda. Our team works fully onsite.
The ideal start month is April 2025, and we will be flexible with the chosen candidate’s availability.
The salary range will be 25,000,000 – 35,000,000 UGX annual gross depending on relevant experiences and qualifications.

How to apply
Your CV should be no more than four pages and in PDF format. Share the CV and cover letter
Applications deadline will be no later than 20 March 2025.
The interview process will entail interviews, team interaction, and reference checks.
All official communication regarding this opportunity will come from email accounts in the domains @aseiug.org